SPOKANE, Wash. — The federal government has tightened rules for service animals after years of vague, unclear policy.

Major changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act include that only animals considered service animals are dogs and in some cases miniature horses; they have to be trained to perform a task; and comfort, therapy or emotional support animals do not meet the definition of a service animal.

These new laws ensure that animals brought into businesses perform vital tasks and restaurants and other businesses no longer have to accommodate pigs, snakes or other exotic animals that their owners have called service animals in the past.